


Fallen Angel

by Jubilee44



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-23
Updated: 2014-11-23
Packaged: 2018-02-26 18:31:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2662112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jubilee44/pseuds/Jubilee44
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cassandra was born a myth and hidden for most of her life. Then she's recruited into Shield and her life changed for the better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

        Cassandra Blake Reyes was born four weeks premature on February fourteenth, with asthma, and a set of small, white, wings on her back. It was all to the horror of her parents who had been waiting so long for their first, beautiful, perfect daughter. The hospital wanted to keep young Cassandra under observation but her conservative mother ran with her and locked her away in a large mansion for the next twenty-three years.   
        Cass walked down the long sweeping staircase just like every morning at six o'clock. She padded into the kitchen and there she found her mother and her mother's PA, Roslyn.   
        "Good morning, darling." Harriet Reyes greeted her daughter in the second that she looked up from her smart phone.  
        "Hi." Cass said in her soft spoken way. She sat at the table next to her mother but wasn't feeling up to eating. "Busy day?" Her mother only nodded in reply. Cassandra glanced over at Roslyn who was also busy with her own phone. Cass's mother was...well she wasn't exactly sure what she did. In fact Cass didn't know much about life outside the mansion grounds. In all of her twenty-three years of living she had never stepped beyond the gates or hedges or swam to the other side of the lake that sat behind the rolling lawns of the backyard. Her mother kept her contained and Cassandra never questioned it. She did, however, wonder why she was different from her mother and Roslyn or any other PA that came and went. Cass knew she had full grown wings sprouting from her shoulder blades in fact she could never go a second without thinking of them. But her mother didn't have them and she wanted to know why.   
        "Some people are born with them and some just aren't." Harriet told her daughter when she was only eight-years-old. "It doesn't make you special, a lot of people have them. You have just never met one yet."   
        So, Cassandra believed her and thought of her wings as freckles or a double jointed thumb, some people had them some people didn't. Her only qualms were having to take care of them. Sometimes they hurt and would feel cramped. They were bones and muscles in fact and keeping them hidden under a shirt or jacket was like tucking your legs under you for hours upon hours. She needed to stretch them every so often. She mostly did it outside so she could lie on the grass without worrying her mother who always got emotional when she spread them. Cassandra wasn't sure why. But on warm days she would spend hours watching the clouds and birds fly over the empty British countryside.  
        Then, when she was fourteen, she wondered if she could fly just like birds. They both had wings, so why not? She tried one night and ended up hovering a bit over the ground but she ended up knocking over a stack of books and waking her mother. So she never tried again.   
        "We should head off, Ms. Reyes." Roslyn said when she looked at the time.   
        Harriet nodded and stood up. "Alright. Be good." She reminded her daughter as she pulled on her jacket. "I'll be in before supper." She kissed the top of her daughter's ash blonde hair.   
        "Okay." Cass said and kept her eyes fixed to her hands resting in her lap. She listened as the front door shut and the black BMW pulled out of the stone covered driveway. When she couldn't hear the engine anymore, Cass stood up and went back up to her room.   
        Cassandra had twenty-three years of experience in everything you could imagine. She knew how to play the piano, the violin, she knew how to sew, knit, crochet, she was fluent in ten different languages, she had a high IQ, read every book in the mansion at least twice, and painted over twenty-five landscapes all hanging on the walls. But in recent years Cass was mostly interested in the outside world, something her mother highly discouraged.   
        Cass sat at her computer, her fingers poised over the keyboard. The laptop was a nineteenth birthday present that had no internet access and hundreds of different complicated bans. Cass normally just listened to music with it. But as the laptop started up, the internet search engine popped up. She blinked. It had never happened before but the system Harriet used to restrict her daughter was down that day. And that's when all the chaos started.   
        Cassandra didn't know what to do first. She started looking up videos of piano pieces and then music videos and then videos of cats and those kept going on and on and on. And not one human in any video or website she visited had wings. She figured they were hidden but just to make sure, Cass headed over to Facebook. She'd heard of the social media website from passing remarks made by her mother to Roslyn. Cass set up a profile and when it came to take her picture, she hiked up the back of her t-shirt and let her wings flutter out just a tiny bit. With her head tilted down a bit she took the picture. Next Cassandra friended a few people who apparently lived around her and then left the computer for lunch.   
        The profile picture went viral in an hour.   
        That night, Cass heard her mother walk back into the house. The girl was unaware her picture was spreading around the internet like rapid fire but she was still guilty for having used the computer in such a way.   
        "Cassandra, I'm home!" Her mother called. "Do you want dinner?"   
        Cass looked at her door nervously. "No thank you, I'm not hungry." She replied her voice wavering ever so slightly.   
        "Are you sure? You don't want to come down and maybe watch some TV with me?" She asked.   
        "No, I think I'm going to go to bed if that's alright."   
        There was a pause and Cassandra's heart rate quickened. "Okay, well goodnight, darling."   
        "Good night!" Cass called back and relaxed a bit. She fell back onto her bed and closed her eyes. Her night was far from over though.  
        Twenty minutes later there was a loud gasp and a crash that woke Cassandra up. She fumbled to get out of her bed and opened the door. "Mom?" She called. There was near silence except the sound of the TV in the background. Cass could only make out a few words. " _Facebook, viral, wings, real?"_ She didn't pay much attention to them though. "Mom, are you okay?" She yelled again.   
        Suddenly there were footsteps running up the stairs and Harriet appeared looking absolutely livid. "Cassandra Blake, what in the Hell did you do?" She demanded in a voice Cass had never heard her use before.   
        She backed away from her mother a bit down the hall. Harriet got a hold of her arm anyways though. "What do you mean?" Cass asked in a scared voice.   
        "How did you get on the internet? Why did you post that picture? Do you know what will happen?" Her mother yelled at her.   
        Cassandra's heart seized up in her chest. Had her mother lied to her? Was she really a freak of nature? Cass would get those answers soon because flood lights came on all around the house from out of nowhere. Doors and windows were suddenly smashed in and there were a rush of heavily armored people surrounding Cass who started to scream in fear. It was all a blur as the girl was carried away and out of the house. She was put into a helicopter and taken away from the only world she knew. 


	2. Chapter Two

        "You're okay. Everything's going to be just fine."   
        Cassandra couldn't process any of the words the red haired female was saying to her. She was curled up in a ball hyperventilating on the floor of the helicopter. The team that had removed her from the mansion placed a blanket over her shoulders and offered her water but she refused. She felt like she would throw up anything given to her.   
        "She's not responding to anything." The red head stood up and went to talk to someone else.   
        Someone took her place. He knelt down in front of Cass. He had blond hair and gray eyes that matched a kind and welcoming face. "Hi, Cassandra." Cass's teeth were chattering out of intense fear. "I'm Phil Coulson." She nodded again with a blank face. She didn't know anything about  the Avengers, Shield, or even that superheroes existed. So as far as she knew she was being kidnapped. "I'm an agent of Shield." He tried to get any recognition from her. Cass just stared at him like he was speaking an alien language. "We're a part of a super initiative." He further explained. "You're the one who posted the picture right?"   
        That Cassandra did understand. "Yes." She said just loud enough to be heard over the helicopter noise.   
        "We just want you to know that there's nothing to worry about. There is just concern from the government about you. All we want to do is run some tests and I assure you you'll be back home before you know it."   
        Cassandra was incredibly naive at this point and decided to trust this man. It was one of the best decisions she made.   
  
        Cass was an ocean away from her comfort zone. She was extremely jetlagged as she was led out of a private plane. The one they'd taken after landing on the coast of France. She then was driven in a limo to an apartment building in the middle of an unfamiliar city. Phil helped an exhausted Cass up the stairs to a door. He knocked and a few minutes later a disheveled blond opened the door. He was tall, heavily muscled, and had blue eyes.   
        "Coulson?" He asked with a yawn. He blinked a few times to get used to the hallway lighting.   
        "I'm sorry to wake you up, Steve." Phil said and Cassandra noticed the agent had a certain respect for the man standing in the door. "But we have the person we were telling you about. Banner isn't in the lab so we have nowhere for her to go. You were the closest." He explained.   
        Steve glanced over at Cassandra. He looked a bit puzzled but perhaps it was from the sleepiness. "Yeah, uh come on in. Cassandra, right?" He asked as he opened the door wider. He seemed to wake up a bit more.   
        Cass nodded and looked over at Phil who smiled. "I'll be here to get you in the morning. Sleep well and thank you Steve." And with that, the agent was gone.   
        Cassandra stood a bit shell shocked in the hallway. Steve waited patiently by the door. "You can come in, if you want." He prompted again. Cass looked over at him with scared eyes. That's when Steve first noticed how amazing her eyes were. They were like liquid gold with flecks of bronze and a circle of obsidian in the center. They made him lose his train of thought for a second. "Uh...I mean unless you want to stay out here which is completely fine." He gave her a good natured smile.           
        Cass swallowed and shuffled into the apartment. She was still shivering and kept her arms and the blanket wrapped tightly around herself as if she were lost in the arctic.   
        "Are you cold?" Steve asked when he shut the door and turned on a few lights. Cass shook her head. "Oh, well. There's an extra room all the way down the hall. Do you need anything else?"   
        Cassandra glanced down at her sweatpants and t-shirt and then shook her head. She was tired and all she really needed was to sleep and then wake up from this nightmare. She slowly walked down the hall and found the room Steve was talking about. It was quiet, dark and comfortable. She curled up on the bed and instantly fell asleep.   
        


	3. Chapter Three

        When daylight came around early in the morning, Cass figured out it wasn't just all a bad dream. She woke up in the same bed in Steve's apartment. She felt like her whole body wanted to tense up again but she felt exhausted even after a long sleep. Unsure of what to do, Cass sat up in the bed and stared at the pale slate colored walls. She wondered where her mother was, where she herself was. She then weighed the options of running away but didn't know  _where_ to run to. Compliancy was in her nature but she was in such an unnatural state she wasn't sure what her nature was now. Then she thought about those long years stuck in the mansion. Unable to go out into the real world and there she was. She could run back to her mother and continue the life of Earthly purgatory or she could...live. Cassandra felt a tugging sensation in her stomach like she was physically wrestling herself over the decision. Then, slowly she pushed the covers away, swung her legs over the bed, pressed her feet to the cool wood floor, and began to live.   
        Sam and Steve were walking in from a run. Sam was visiting the Avengers in New York for a bit and took up the Captain's offer on a run through Central Park. It had become a spectacle for all though when Captain America overlapped the Falcon twice yelling, 'on your left, and Sam swearing profusely. Both were joking and laughing in the kitchen when Cassandra made her way down the hall.   
        Sam noticed her first and nudged Steve. He looked and gave Cass a warm smile. "'Morning." He said. Cass, who was a bit overwhelmed with herself only smiled.   
        "Sam, this is Cassandra." He said and gave his friend a knowing look.   
        The Falcon opened his mouth slightly. "Oh,  _that_ Cassandra." He said but seemed to get over the initial shock. "It's nice to meet you Cassandra. Do you go by anything else?"   
        "Most people," and by that she meant Rosalyn, "just call me Cass." She said with a nod. "Or Cassie." She smiled and shrugged.   
        "I can dig Cass." Sam said. "Well, I have to run. Tomorrow morning, Cap, I'm gonna kick your ass." He said before heading out the door.   
        Steve just shook his head. "He wishes." He glanced up at Cass. "Phil's going to be here soon. I got some clothes from a friend that might fit you. I'm not great with sizes." He said with a sheepish smile.   
        Cassandra was struck by Steve's kindness. Maybe it was just the surreal situation but she assumed life on the outside would be...harsher. Or at least that's what her mother always warned her about. "Thank you." She said quietly.   
        "You're welcome. So, they're in my room on the bed. I can make you a quick breakfast if you want." He suggested.   
        Cass slowly nodded. "That would be great thanks." Steve smiled and turned his back to her. She also turned and found his room where the clothes were lying out. A pair of skinny jeans, a boyfriend sweater and a gray t-shirt that had the letters ACDC printed on them. Cass stared at the shirt for a good five minutes.  _ACDC?_   _Wasn't it ABCD?_ She was starting to doubt every single thing she knew but didn't have much time to address those doubts. She pulled off her own shirt and as she did so the door opened. Cass yelped in surprise and turned her back to the door.   
        "Oh God I'm so sorry, Ma'am I should've knocked." Steve apologized hastily and kept his eyes respectfully averted to the hallway floor.   
        Cassandra snorted though. "Ma'am?" She questioned him with a small giggle.   
        Steve laughed too but more out of embarrassment. "I'm a bit old fashioned and it shows sometimes." He explained as he counted the nails in the wood floor. Cass pulled on the shirt and jeans. "Decent?" Steve asked.  
        "Yeah." She said and the blond looked up.  
        His cheeks were a deep red. "Sorry, I'm not used to knocking in my own apartment especially since I've lived alone for a long time."   
        Cass gave him a small smile almost as if she were accepting his apology with that alone. "It's okay." She told him. "It was funny to hear you address me." She teased him and threw the sweater over her arm.   
        Steve's baby blue eyes glinted a bit and Cassandra noticed immediately.   
  
        Phil drove Cass over to a tall building. She was hesitant about leaving Steve's apartment as she had just gotten acclimated to it. She decided to live though, again. The two walked through the building that was obviously some government branch. Official looking people milled around the lobby and down the halls. Cass felt a bit out of place dressed so casually.  
        Phil led her up to a door. "Dr. Banner is going to take care of you okay? He'll take a few simple tests, nothing too bad. Just a word of advice though, don't upset him."   
        "Why?" Cassandra asked nervously.   
        Coulson took a breath before saying, "He's just a naturally stressed guy." He opened the door and ushered Cass into a lab.   
        Inside were two men working. Cassandra's eyes wandered around as she tried to take in every unfamiliar thing surrounding her, glass screen computers, chemicals, beakers, complicated looking technology, and armor-like things.   
        "Stark what are you doing here?" Cass looked over at Coulson who was looking exhaustedly at the dark hair man with the facial hair.   
        "Playing." The man answered. "This is technically my lab too."   
        "It's technically Shield's lab and given to Dr. Banner when he needs to use it." Phil retorted.   
        "And Bruce said I could use it too. So, who's breeching security now?" The man said with a smirk. "Besides I wanted to see the person with wings."   
        Cass's eyes widened. Was that what this was all about? She knew it had something to do with it but the sole purpose? "They aren't that special." She repeated her mother's words.   
        The two scientists stared at her. Even Coulson gave her a shocked look. "Well, let's see them and I'll tell you if they're special or not." Bruce said with a bit of a joke that Cassandra didn't get.   
        Dr. Banner had her sit on a lab bench and she hitched up the back of her shirt and let her wings unfurl. Cass didn't see Bruce's reaction to her wings but she did see Stark's.  
        "Holy...shit." The man said and slowly walked up to her.   
        Cassandra was starting to feel incredibly self conscious as both men examined her. She kept her eyes on the floor to get her mind off of whatever they were doing.   
        "What kind of movement do you have?" Bruce asked. As a demonstration Cass shook out her wings and moved them backward, forward and back again. "So it is bone and muscle not just useless flesh. Incredible." The doctor whispered.   
        "Flight?" Tony asked.   
        "I don't know." Cass admitted. "I think I can but I haven't really tried. I've only...hovered." She told them.   
        "Okay, you can put your shirt down." Bruce said. Cass tucked her wings in and pulled down the shirt again. "Is it okay if I draw blood?" He asked and started to pull out tubes and a needle.   
        Cassandra went a bit pale. "I've never...uh needles." She stuttered.   
        "It doesn't hurt." Bruce assured her. "I'll make it quick. Maybe your left arm." He said. Cass reluctantly held out her arm and Bruce pierced her skin with the needle. She gasped at the sudden pain and scrunched her eyes close. "Alright...and...done." Bruce removed the needle and taped a piece of gauze to the pinch mark. "Okay?" He asked. Cass's skin was almost completely gray. She slowly nodded. "You don't look okay." He said.   
        "Mm, I'm fine." Cass slurred a bit.   
        "Here, I'll help you stand up and we can get you somewhere to lie down." The doctor held out an arm but Cass waved him away.   
        "I'm fine." She said in a thick voice and stood up. Her head rushed and she started to see dark spots in her vision. Cassandra took a shaky step forward but a second later her legs gave out on her and she collapsed to the ground, out cold. 


	4. Chapter Four

        Cassandra woke up a few minutes later. Her vision cleared up and stared up at that the ceiling. She mumbled something incoherent when she saw Steve kneeling next to her.   
        "Hey, are you okay?" He asked.   
        Cass blinked and turned her head to the side. She was still laying on the ground but didn't remember how she'd gotten there. "Steve?" She asked in a cracked voice.   
        "Yeah, yeah I'm right here. How are you feeling?" Concern was heavy in his blue eyes.   
        "My head hurts." She mumbled.   
        "I know you fell but Bruce caught you. Are you still feeling dizzy or do you think you're okay?" Steve asked and subtly pressing his index and middle finger to her pulse point over her wrist.   
        Cassandra noticed though and her cheeks flushed red. Quickly, she sat up. "I'll be okay. Thank you for your concern." She said politely and tried to stand up. Her  legs still felt like jelly though and she had to grab the edge of the lab bench to steady herself. She took a few breaths but they seemed to go right to her brain to make her more woozy.   
        "Here," Steve reached over and scooped her up off the ground, "I got you."   
        Cass felt completely stunned as the tall blond walked out of the lab carrying her bridal style. She got rare affection from her mother but that was it. She'd never been held or even touched by a guy before. She awkwardly had to hold onto Steve's arms to balance herself but tried to keep her eyes away from him. But the lull of his footsteps slowly made Cass feel a bit dizzy again and she nodded off on his shoulder.   
        "Hey, Steve!" Someone caught up to them.   
        "Yeah?"   
        "Annie from accounting." Natasha Romanoff said cryptically.   
        Steve only laughed and shook his head. "Not going to happen 'Tasha."   
        "Why not?" She complained and stopped walking.   
         He turned around but continued to walk backwards. "My hands are full already." He teased and walked forward again.   
        Cassandra woke up again right as Steve was juggling holding her and trying to get his door unlocked. "Oh," she said out of the blue and wriggled her way out of Steve's arms, "sorry here."   
        "It's fine, are you..." She stood in front of him. "Good, I'm glad you're better." He smiled. "To be honest I wasn't really sure how I was going to get in without waking you up." He got the door open and the two walked in.   
        "Are you always so nice?" Cass asked in a soft voice.   
        "I try to be, Miss." Steve started to make coffee. "You can turn the TV on, if you want." He said with his back turned to Cass. "You've had an interesting morning to say the least so relaxing should help."   
        Cassandra nodded and found her way into the small den that had a comfortable looking couch across from the TV. She used the remote to turn it on. A news channel popped up and Cass decided it would be best to figure out what was going on in the world she had just entered. Most of the stories were on money and lack of so when Steve walked into the room and sat next to her she had a few questions. "Why is the economy so bad?" She asked.   
        Steve laughed and shook his head. "I have no idea," he handed Cass a mug of hot coffee, "I grew up in the Depression age so I don't see what the big deal is honestly."   
        Cass took a second to process what the man next to her had just said.  _Depression Age? That makes him...ninety years old or so?_ Cassandra was new to the world but she wasn't stupid. She knew that wasn't possible. "How old are you?" Her mouth spoke before her mind could stop it.   
        "Ninety-seven." Steve answered without missing a beat.   
        Cassandra stared at him. "What?" He glanced over at her. "That's not possible." She accused.   
        "I flew a plane into some ice and spent seventy of those years frozen solid." He explained. "Ice preserves well." He joked.   
        Cass was still a little lost. "But...you're..."   
        "Let me ask you a question." Steve interrupted her. He reached over and grabbed the remote off the table and muted the TV. "We can kind of make it a twenty questions sort of thing. How long have you had wings for?" His blue eyes searched her confused face.   
        "My entire life, I suppose. I was born with them." Cassandra answered. "So you're telling me you survived seventy years of being frozen? How?" She demanded. It was all too surreal for her.   
        "That was two questions." Steve pointed out but she gave him an exasperated look so he just nodded. "Okay well I did survive and it's because of a genetically enhanced super serum.  It's where I got all of my strength and height from." Cass opened her mouth but he just shook his head. "Hang on, it's my turn." He laughed softly. "Why didn't you ever leave your house?"   
        "I-I don't know." She stuttered. "I guess my mom just painted a picture of the outside world being so...terrible. I guess that's why I'm still a little nervous." She admitted. "I'm not even sure what's going on still.   
        "I can answer that. There's a thing called the Avengers Initiative is a team that protects the world. We're all kind of...heroes I suppose." Steve said with a shrug.   
        "Heroes? Like Superheroes?" Cass asked in disbelief. Steve nodded. "And what the hell does a group of superheroes want with me?"   
        "I honestly don't know. Shield can be pretty secretive. You might be recruited but I guess I want you to know that you can always decline. I know you probably feel out of place here."   
        Cass opened her mouth but for a second no words came out. Was she really that...out of place? She looked over at Steve who gave her a small half smile. "I...don't." She said slowly. "I kind of like it here." She admitted.   
        "It's not terrible?"   
        Cassandra smiled and shook her head. "It's definitely not terrible." 


	5. Chapter Five

        Nighttime came around and a decision was to be made by Cassandra. Would she leave or stay in Shield as an agent? The poor girl was so torn that she physically got sick after two hours of constant thinking.   
        Steve grew worried and tried to comfort her. "I'm sure whatever choice you make it will end up fine." He assured her. They were sitting in the middle of the hallway right across from each other oddly enough. But it happened so quickly Cassandra was walking to her room and passed by Steve. He asked her how she was doing and she broke down crying. The captain spent an hour on the floor trying to calm her down.   
        "I want to stay here, I want to live but I'm leaving behind all I've ever known, and my mother. Oh God!" She cried hysterically.   
        "Sh, Cassandra, it's going to be okay. Listen, you don't have to make a decision yet you have time. Why don't you just sleep on it?" Steve suggested. He gently reached over and lifted her chin up so her gold eyes were looking at him. "Yeah?" A shudder racked Cass's entire body but she nodded. "Alright, here." Steve stood up and took both of her hands to help her stand.   
        Cassandra sniffed and looked at him. Something deep inside of her was urging her to do something completely unorthodox. When you meet someone for a night and a day you don't typically kiss them. But that's what Cass did.   
        Obviously she'd never kissed a boy before but Cassandra had read every paperback romance novels ever created so she had some clue of what she was doing.   
        Steve would agree too. He was so stunned when Cass put a hand on his cheek and pressed her lips to his softly that he didn't have much time to react.  
        She pulled away quickly realizing what she'd done. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry I have no idea why..." Cass stammered and she went to take a step away but Steve pulled her back with a hand on her waist and returned the favor. Both had gotten over the shock and fell into sort of an understanding of each other. Cass fell in love with the way Steve touched her. Having been deprived of a lot of human touch she would take anything but this was different, she could tell. He kept a firm hand on her waist and let his other hand hold the back of her neck softly his fingers running through her silky hair. And Steve wasn't complaining about the way Cassandra was overall. He'd dated a bit here and there but none of the girls were like Cass. He liked the way she was soft  spoken but had a hidden strength inside of her. The way she interrogated him, took on the challenge of both Banner and Stark acting like nerds around her and just kissing him like they'd known each other for years. In fact Steve did feel like he knew Cassandra in a way but he also figured there was a lot more to learn and he couldn't wait.   
        They kissed for a few more minutes. Steve pressed Cassandra up against a wall, something the soldier would never think of doing right away, and Cass knotted her fingers in his short locks. They were interrupted though by the hallway light suddenly turning on. "Whoa, PDA." Steve and Cassandra hadn't heard Bucky Barnes come into the apartment.   
        The two pulled away quickly, Cass's shyness and Steve's politeness kicking back in. Steve quickly collected his scattered thoughts from kissing Cassandra. "Uh...hey Buck. Cassie this is my best friend and roommate, Bucky. Bucky, this is Cassandra."   
        "Nice to meet you Cassandra." Bucky said with a nod and sly smile towards Steve's direction. "I heard you're the girl with the wings." He said brazenly.   
        "Bucky..." Steve scolded him sharply.   
        "Uh...yeah I guess everyone's heard of me." Cass's cheeks burned even more.   
        "Yeah it's pretty awesome." Bucky's voice trailed off a bit and he grew a little suspicious. "So...are you two...?"   
        Cass's eyes widened. "Oh, n-no! I uh..." She looked up to Steve for some help but he looked just as lost for words as she was.  
        "It's fine." Bucky gave them a smile. "I get it, it's complicated. Alright, well don't let me interrupt, have a good night you two." He winked and headed off to his room that was in between Cass's and Steve's.   
        "Ignore him." Steve said when Bucky's door shut. "Well, it's late so...good night, ma'am." He teased with a cute smile.   
        Cassandra grinned and blushed. "Good night, Steve." She said softly and retreated back to her own room. As she crawled under the covers of the soft bed she realized she had made her decision. 


	6. Chapter Six

        Cassandra woke up before Steve or Bucky. She took a shower and put on a tank top and jeans from the new stash of clothes she'd found for her in the dresser. It was hard to towel dry wings so Cass shook them out a bit in the shower and let them spread out. She couldn't find a hair dryer so she just decided to let them air out. She walked into the den and opened the windows to the crisp, bright fall day. Outside the window sill there was a small balcony so Cass climbed up onto it. She let her feathers ruffle in the cool breeze as she closed her eyes and turned her face up to the warm morning sun.  
        Steve, who woke up to the sound of the shower, finally got himself out of bed. He shuffled out into the hallway yawning and stretching. As he passed the den he saw the window was opened. He stopped and took a second look. To Steve, it was one of the most beautiful sights he'd seen and he'd seen most of the wonders of the world. Cassandra was standing barefooted on the balcony in dark skinny jeans and a white tank top. Her golden blonde hair was wavy from the shower and some strands were still wet. And of course there were her wings. It was the first time Steve laid eyes on them fully outstretched. They were a few inches longer than Cass's arm span, they sprouted from just below her shoulder blades, the length almost hit her waist and the tips were a good foot or two over her head. They were a bright, snowy white and were fluffed up from the wind some of the feathers were still dripping though leaving small droplets on the balcony. The captain couldn't help but stand completely still and stare even if it was rude.   
        Bucky woke up because Steve's door had a nasty habit of slamming in the morning. He was going to make a beeline for the kitchen but stopped when he saw the spectacle. He allowed himself to look in awe at Cass's wings for a minute until he realized he'd seen enough cool and slightly weird things in his life to make him numb. Then, he shoved Steve who jumped having not heard Bucky walk up behind him. "What're you doing just staring at her, go talk to her." Bucky whispered.   
        The blond looked a little flustered. "No she's..."   
        "Hey Cassandra!" Bucky called when he understood that Steve wouldn't make the first move himself.   
        Cass spun around. "Oh, good morning." She said. "Sorry I was just..." She went to go back into the apartment when her wings hit both sides of the building preventing her from doing so. She laughed and shook her head at herself.   
        Steve jumped to the rescue though. As Cass was tucking her wings back against her shoulders he held out a hand to her. He helped her down and back into the den. By then Bucky had left knowing his work was done. Cass still checked though. When she found she and Steve were alone she reached up on her tiptoes to kiss the blond's cheek. "Thank you." She said quietly.   
        Steve could only smile and nod. He went to go to the kitchen thinking she would follow, but instead Cassandra stopped him.   
        "Steve," she called and he turned around again. "I decided what I wanted to do."   
        "About whether you're going to stay with Shield or not?" He asked.   
        Cass nodded. "Yeah, I think I want to stay."   
        Steve grinned. "That's awesome, we really wanted you to stay, and I uh wanted you to stay." The two looked at each other and memories from last night were starting to come up again. And both were hoping they would have  a deja vu moment.   
        "Kiss her, kiss her, kiss her." Bucky egged on as he walked past the den with a bagel in his hand.   
        "Shut up Buck." Steve replied. "Sorry, he can be..."   
        "He can be right?" Cass interrupted with a small smirk. "Because he is now."   
        "What do you mean?" The captain asked with an innocent look on his face.   
        "You should kiss me, Steve." She said softly. Steve's breath hitched but then leaned down and kissed her like last night had been ages ago.   
        "Woot woot, Bucky Barnes strikes again." Bucky cheered as he walked by again.   
        Cass and Steve pulled away and both shouted, "Shut up Bucky!" At him.   
        Steve laughed and kept her close. "Will you stay here?" He asked.   
        "If you want me to." Cassandra replied.   
        "Yeah, I really do, I mean I don't want it to be so sudden or anything but since you're already technically moved in and...." Steve's rambling was cut off by Cass pressing her index finger to his lips.   
        "It's exciting." She whispered. "And I just recently found out I like excitement." 


	7. Chapter Seven

        Cassandra was back in Shield headquarters that same day. She was sitting in front of Director Nick Fury and was feeling extremely intimidated by the man in the eyepatch.   
        "Cassandra Blake Reyes is your full name, correct?" Nick asked. Cass nodded. "Do you know why Shield recruited you?" He asked.   
        "I honestly have no idea." She shook her head. "I-I don't have any special powers or..." She trailed off.   
        "How do you know that?" Fury challenged her.   
        Cassandra opened her mouth but shut it. Her golden eyes searched her hands before looking back up. "I don't know." She admitted. "I feel like I don't know anything now."   
        "Here." Nick handed her a folder full of papers. "Read those later you'll learn a few things about your life that you might not have known. But now." He put a Glock 26 on the desk in front of her. Cass looked at the foreign object. "That's for you. Have you ever shot a gun before?" Fury asked her.   
        "No, I haven't, sir." Cassandra answered.   
        "Rogers or Barnes can show you. I'm aware that you all have become roommates. That must be fun for you." Nick said with a hint of a smile on his tough face.   
        Cass smiled and shook his head. "It certainly is interesting."   
        "I can imagine. Well, what I'm going to ask you to do is read your file and learn how to shoot a gun. We can talk afterwards."   
        She nodded and stood up. "Thank you, sir." She said and hesitantly picked up the gun. She held it like it would go off and magically shoot her at any second. The newest Shield agent walked down the hall to the spot where Steve was waiting for her. He looked up with the question on his face. Almost as a reply she held up the gun and made a nervous face.   
        "I didn't know you could shoot a gun." Steve said when she got closer.   
        "I can't." Cass admitted. She examined the shiny metal surface of the gun. She then looked up at Steve's blue eyes. "You're going to have to help me."   
        Steve nodded and put his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth on his heels. "I can do that. There's a shooting range downstairs." Cass nodded and began to follow him to the elevator. "What's that?" He nodded to the folder.   
        "My file apparently. I didn't know I had a...government file." She answered. "It's bizarre."   
        "Shield knows everything." Steve said with a half smile. He noticed Cass's confused face as she stared at the front of the folder. "Are you going to read it?" He asked.   
        "I don't know." Cassandra said in a dazed voice. "I mean, I want some answers I suppose."   
        "About what?"   
        "I have no idea." She laughed humorlessly. "Apparently I don't know everything there is to know about myself." Cassandra sighed and looked up at the captain walking beside her. "Is that even possible?" She asked.   
        Steve nodded. "Yeah, it is." He didn't elaborate any further. Cassandra opened her mouth to ask for an explanation but she never did.   
        The shooting range was packed with agents and louder than Cass thought it would be. Even with the headphones she still had extremely sensitive ears. But she could only hear the gun shots, not Steve's instructions right beside her. She continually shook her head and motioned that she couldn't hear him.   
        Steve couldn't think of any other way. He squared Cass's shoulders up to the target and slipped his arms around her from behind and placed both hands over hers. He helped her load the magazine and placed her right index finger on the trigger. He raised Cass's arms a little bit and shifted her a little to the right and pressed gently on her finger indicating her to shoot. Cassandra was surprisingly steady as she pulled the trigger and fired. The bullet just grazed the top of the center. A giddy feeling struck up inside of Cass she twisted around and grinned at Steve who gave her an impressed nod and smile back.   
        Next to them Clint Barton strode into the shooting range. Besides the rooftop it was one of his favorite places. He snapped open his bow and loaded an arrow. He drew it back and let the arrow hit the direct middle. He went to pull out another arrow when out of the corner of his eye he saw a familiar blond head. The archer lay down his bow carefully and stepped to the side. He clapped Steve on the back and made the soldier jump.  
        Steve's surprise caused Cassandra to flinch making the gun in her hand point upwards and shoot up and into the ceiling. Both her and Steve's mouth opened slightly. Clint began to laugh, grabbed his bow, and  followed the two as they hurried out of the shooting range.           
        "Clint, should've known it was you." Steve sighed once all three of them were outside in the quiet hall.   
        The archer held up a finger gesturing the captain to wait as he turned his hearing aid back up. "It's better than wearing headphones." He explained with a small smile. "So, what were you saying?" Steve just shook his head. "Is this Cassandra?" Clint asked.   
        "Yeah, hi." Cass said and shook the archer's hand. She took in the man's appearance, his wrist guard, the quiver slung over his back, and a bow hanging loosely from his other hand. "Hey, you're Hawkeye." She remembered seeing a small newspaper article that her mother accidentally left out. She thought it was odd reading about a vigilante archer named Hawkeye.  
        Steve looked a little shocked but Clint just grinned. "I like her already!" He exclaimed. "What're you doing later Cassandra?" Barton asked.   
        Cass blushed a bit at the somewhat cocky man. It didn't show much but Steve started to get a little...jealous? "Uh, I'm just looking through a few things." She told him. "I think I might be a little busy after though." She glanced backwards at the captain standing behind her. Steve gave her a small smile. "But maybe another day?"   
        Clint was watching to two as they smiled at each other. "Oh, I see what's going on." He gave them a sly smile.   
        Steve shook his head. "I have no idea what you're talking about Barton."   
        "No, don't feel obligated to tell me." Clint held up both hands, his bow swinging a bit. "I can ask Bucky, he'll definitely tell me." He winked and walked away.   
        "Is Bucky that big of a gossip?" Cass asked.   
        Steve thought to himself for a second. "Yeah...yeah he can be." 

        


	8. Chapter Eight

        Cassandra sat on her bed and slowly opened her file. She felt her body tremble slightly and she wasn't sure if she wanted to know the truth. Having been sheltered her entire life, Cass was normally content with calm even somewhat boring lifestyles. But now she had a taste of excitement and purpose and she only craved more.   
  
 _Cassandra Blake Reyes  
Female  
Born: February 14th 1991  
Wings  
Whereabouts currently unknown  
Last seen at Maternity Ward of Mount Sinai Hospital, NYC, NY  
  
Mother, Harriet Reyes, a highly ranked biologist at Oscorp. Accidentally genetically enhanced fetus causing it to grow wings in an attempt to enhance self. Mother fled with newborn never to be seen again. Whereabouts of both mother or child, unknown. Father, Andrew Reyes, NYC politician, assassinated one month after child's birth. Shooter never identified. Full extent of child's abilities, unknown. Amount of serum used on fetus, unknown.   
  
Harriet Reyes was marked number seven as Shield most wanted  
Cassandra Reyes marked Potential Threat class A critical _  
  
Cassandra finished reading the short rap sheet.  _Biologist? Assassination, unknown, unknown, unknown._ Her mind was racing. Her mother did this to her? After all these years Cassandra had always known that Harriet was horrified with the tragic mutation of her only daughter. But now Shield was saying that she caused it herself? And for what? A selfish reason? And her father, what happened to her father? Why was he killed? Cass's mother always said that he left them because of her wings. Her breathing shortened and she was growing increasingly worried about the 'full extent' of her abilities. The powers that never showed, that they were right under her skin. Then, anger settled in. Her mother kept her hidden away, taught her to hide from the world, told her she wasn't special when it was all her fault. Cass flipped the folder shut forcefully and stood up. She took the gun off the side table next to the bed and loaded it. She shoved her way out into the hallway. Steve just happened to be walking by. "Where can I shoot?" Cassandra asked him.   
        Steve noticed the growing fury in her eyes. The amber colored flecks in her eyes expanded and her pupils dilated. "Uh, hang on." He walked down the hall a few steps and picked up his shield that was leaning against the wall in its normal spot. He held it up and out slightly. "Show me what you got." He said with a small smile.   
        Normally Cassandra would hesitate, ask if he was sure but she wasn't in the mood to be Normal Cassandra. She raised the gun and started to shoot off rounds rapidly. The shield absorbed the bullet's force and made them drop to the floor with a clatter. There was a blank click after a minute and Cass let the empty gun drop to the floor. She was breathing roughly, her ears ringing from every shot, and the anger slowly dissipating away. The only thing left was betrayal and it made her feel completely empty inside. She gasped slightly and began to sob.   
        Steve placed his shield down and approached Cassandra cautiously. He bent down a bit to try to see her face. "Hey," he said softly, his hands hovering right over her upper arms, "did you read it?" Cass nodded and continued to cry. "It's okay." He pulled her into a hug. "I get it."  
        It was extraordinary how perfectly Cassandra and Steve fit. They were like two puzzle pieces they just worked without any hesitation or awkwardness. Cass wound her arms around his neck but had to stand on her tip toes to reach, her face pressed into his t-shirt becoming familiar with his scent. Steve held her close his arms respectively wrapped around her middle, his face tilted down towards her, his lips inches from the top of Cass's ear. They remained like that for almost ten minutes. Neither wanted to move away from the strange familiarity the other one brought. But common sense set in and they broke away.   
        Cassandra wiped away her tears. "Will you read it?" She asked quietly.   
        "Read your file?" Steve asked her, he scrunched up his eyebrows in concern. "I don't think I'm supposed to..."   
        "I need you to make sense of it because I can't. Everything is just ' _unknown'."_ She hiccuped a bit. "Look, you don't have to I don't know why I asked." She mumbled.   
        "Do you have it?" Cass nodded and went to retrieve it from her room. Her hand was shaking as she handed it to the blond. Steve took it and read through it quickly. His face was blank when he finished. "Did Fury talk to you about this?" Steve asked. He closed the folder and gave it back to Cassandra.   
        She shook her head. "He said he wanted to meet later about it. I'm...scared though." Cassandra admitted.   
        "About what?" Steve asked. He didn't know what exactly to say to Cass. At first glance he saw a naive young woman who didn't know anything about the world but the paper in front of him told him that he was dealing with someone a lot more dangerous even if she didn't know it herself.   
        "What if I..." Her eyes went a pale gold color.   
        Steve understood. She reminded him a bit of Bucky when he was transitioning back. The Winter Soldier was afraid that he would revert back to his KGB self at any second. Cassandra was starting to become afraid of herself and the captain knew from experience that it was the worst possible thing she could do to herself. "Don't over think it." He told her. "If you keep thinking about it you'll only feel worse. Talk to Fury, we can help you. I'll help you too, if you want."   
        She took a deep breath, her whole body trembled slightly. "Okay. I'll try." She whispered. "Thank you Steve, for everything."   
        The blond just smiled. "You're welcome, ma'am. And remind me not to upset you until I have my shield."   
        Cass blushed and shook her head. "I'm sorry. It strangely helps though." She commented.  
        Steve laughed and put an arm around her waist. "Let me take you out to dinner." He said out of the blue.   
        Cassandra's thought process stuttered a bit. "Dinner?" She asked. "Uh, yeah, yeah okay. That would be nice. I don't really have any good clothes to wear though..."   
        "You look fine, trust me." Steve told her. "Besides where we're going after you won't need to look nice." 


End file.
